DBMS DESIGNER TALK: MARGOVA JEWELLERY

Denitza, you studied fashion and design management at the AMD in Hamburg, worked as an art director at Zalando, and gained work experience at Interview Magazine and Stella McCartney in New York…

During my studies at the AMD in Hamburg, I always made jewellery; the focus of my Bachelor’s thesis was also on founding a jewellery label. I eventually went on to set up this fictitious jewellery label after I graduated. At first, it was more of a hobby. I worked on it alongside my job as art director at Zalando. After two years there, I realised that I had actually managed, almost unintentionally, to create something really good. In the end, a colleague encouraged me to produce my first lookbook, which brought me into contact with the press for the first time. That was the moment at which I knew that I had to go for one or the other; in July 2014, I quit my job so that I could put all my energy into MARGOVA.

You founded Margova Jewellery three years ago. What kinds of problems did you come up against at the start?

Actually, I didn’t really have many problems. I was generally very lucky and I was surrounded by people who believed in me and supported me.

In the beginning, the label was still called ‘Vitamin D’ because it was a great fit for the colourful bracelets I made at the time. When the hobby turned into a label and a serious job, I decided to run the label under my own name to emphasise the high quality of the thought processes behind my pieces.

It can sometimes be a challenge to keep going, to create a name for yourself as a young entrepreneur, and to know who you are and where you want to go; you have to keep evolving. Above all, you need a lot of perseverance. Since I have no big investors with me in the company, some things simply take that little bit longer. MARGOVA is still just me and my family, who supports me with a number of things.

You were born in Bulgaria, where your jewellery is now produced in small family businesses. To what extent do your roots inspire and influence your creative process?

It’s more my family than the country itself that inspires and influences me. I have dedicated a capsule collection to them as part of my new collection, which will be launched in November 2017. The pieces are in traditional Bulgarian styles, which my grandmothers often wore. I have reinterpreted those styles for myself and named them after my grandmothers.

What is your signature piece and which of your designs do you like to wear the best?

My signature piece is the ‘On Top’ ring, a small ring for the upper finger. So you wear it on top – that was one of my first designs. I really love wearing all my pieces. I’m always alternating the rings I wear. It really depends on my mood and what I have planned for the day. At the moment, I love wearing rings on my little finger. I even dedicated the ‘Go Pinky’ ring in my current collection to this love.

For the UN campaign HeForShe, which is committed to gender equality, you designed a ‘Girl Power’ bracelet at the beginning of the year.

It was very important for me to not just talk about it and post ‘girl power’ slogans on social media. I wanted to be actively involved. I design my rings for strong self-confident women, just like me or my clients. So I knew they would really like my campaign and that they would also support the initiative.

After my first donation, UN Women Germany contacted me by phone to thank me personally. Of course, that gives you an even better feeling and I also hope to be able to work with them in the future.

You have presented your creations as part of the curated group exhibition for two seasons. What do you think characterises the Berlin fashion scene in general and the BERLINER MODE SALON in particular?

I think the Berlin fashion scene has often been dismissed in recent years. That’s why I spent a lot of time thinking where and how I wanted to show my collection in the city. The Berliner Mode Salon is a welcome change and presents the designers in a serious setting. For me, it’s become the focal point of the Berlin Fashion Week.

When DER BERLINER MODE SALON accepted me around a year ago, I was over the moon that I would be able to show my pieces in such an exclusive setting, which can easily hold its own at an international level. I love the Kronprinzenpalais as a location, and during the group exhibition you really get the sense that we designers are in really good hands. DER BERLINER MODE SALON gives us the opportunity to meet colleagues, journalists and buyers at the event itself. This is very enriching for us designers!